How is a Piece Graded?

My piano students often ask me: “What grade would this be?” when they’re learning a piece that’s not in a graded exam book. It’s a difficult question to answer and it seems even the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) isn’t always as consistent in its grading of pieces as some might expect.

For instance, when looking through the recently-published syllabus of ABRSM piano exam pieces (2015-2016), I noticed a familiar title on the grade 5 (alternative) C pieces list – Dance from Dance of the Dolls by Shostakovich. I played this piece back in 1980 when I sat an extra practical exam to run alongside my O Level; it was in the grade 6 book. At the time I was only a grade 4 pianist and remember being excited that I was able to master a piece two grades higher. However, I must admit I always thought it wasn’t really challenging enough for a grade 6 piece (which was the only reason I could play it!): now the ABRSM obviously agrees.

However, this is not to say that piano exam candidates had it easy in the 1980s – far from it. In 1982, for example, when I was preparing for the practical part of my Music A Level exam, I had to learn the third movement from Mozart’s Sonata in F, which was on the grade 6 syllabus (and definitely beyond my ability, I’m afraid). Then, in 2011, there it was again under the title Presto (with sub-head Third movement from Sonata in F) in my son’s grade 7 book … and the metronome speed was now dotted crotchet = c.72 rather than 80. No wonder I struggled so much with my A Level practical!

It would be interesting to learn what criteria the ABRSM uses when grading pieces – and how often it decides to re-grade them. I also wonder how many pieces have appeared on the syllabus in more than one year – and if there has to be any particular time gap before their reappearance.

Sometimes I really enjoy being reminded of a familiar exam piece: for example, I notice the new grade 5 book includes the lovely An Evening in the Village by Bartok which I played for my own grade 5 exam in 2004. I’m hopeful that some of my pupils will choose to play it.

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